KOLLINGTON AYINLA BROKE! Puts up part of Alagbado mansion for sale

‘I don’t want to be suffering and smiling’

FUJI music icon, Alhaji Rasak Kolawole Ayinla, better known as General Kollington is not enjoying the best of times at the moment.  The fuji maestro confessed this to ENCOMIUM Weekly on Friday, December 13, 2013, when we visited him at his Alagbado, Lagos palatial structure.

The Ilota, Kwara born musician opened up exclusively on so many issues revolving around his life and career, including why he wants to sell part of his mansion, his recent health challenge and much more…

What’s the latest from the stable of General Kollington Ayinla?

Thank you, my son.  Nothing new now career wise because our government at various levels contributed to the problems of so many people which have in turn led to the decline in businesses including entertainment.  Things are no longer working fine.  Only those in government are enjoying the revenue from our crude oil which is wrong.  Pirates are also worsening the situation for us.  Their fear has become the beginning of wisdom.  They have crippled the business for music marketers and artistes.  Now, marketers are afraid of investing in a new album because of the fear of incurring huge debt.  Even the artiste involved will also find himself in a deep mess at the end of the day. So, what’s the essence of recording a new album?  And our fans would not want to understand the situation.  They may not know we also don’t like what’s happening.  But after releasing an album, and it’s pirated, one will get tired.  And the best is not to venture into it at all so that you can have rest of mind.  Let’s believe that truly, Rome was not built in a day, and if we keep comparing United States of America, United Kingdom and other developed countries with Nigeria, we will be missing it.  Although, they have been in existence for long and have also passed through what we’re also going through, I don’t think their situation was as worse as this before they stabilized.  And the surprising aspect of our situation is that those governing us are elderly people, they are educated.  But shall we say they are not wise enough to know what is good for the people they are ruling?  The truth is that they are selfish.  They have rubbished everything.  Even graduates are roaming the streets, no job.  Those that travel abroad don’t get decent jobs.  All we need is to continue crying to God to intervene in our situation.  But they should understand one thing, there is reward for every human deed, here on earth and thereafter.  Even their children will have a share of the punishment.  The situation we found ourselves in Nigeria now is terrible.  Even during military era, it wasn’t this bad.

You mean Nigerians enjoyed during the military dictatorship…

(Cuts in) Yes, things were not this tough.  Even when Shehu Shagari was there, I never heard of all these big and alarming figures – billion naira, this and that to the level of trillion as budget.  How much was the budget of Nigeria when Shagari was the president?  Yet Nigerians were not crying this loud.  Now, they are just too many there, and no dividend of democracy.  Nothing for the poor masses.  If they fight tomorrow, not because of any poor man but their selfish agenda.  Nigeria is running a very expensive system of government.  Their salaries and allowances are in millions, and those they claim they are governing are crying, sleeping with their stomachs empty.  They should have a rethink.  They should stop punishing us.  It’s just too much. Their atrocities are enough to attract God’s wrath on Nigeria as a nation.  Imagine those who could afford three square meals before are now struggling to eat once in a day.  Yet, we’re hearing of billions and trillions every day, and no development in any aspect of our life.  People find it difficult to live but it’s also not easy to die.  We will keep appealing to them, maybe they could change.

You’re known for a kind of music that centres mostly on current affairs, why not release an album again that will reflect the current situation we’re in now?

That’s not a difficult thing but if you do it, you’re not going to be the one to market it.  I have told you, marketers are afraid of sponsoring any album at the moment because of the activities of pirates.  People are not ready to take unnecessary risk anymore because they already know the outcome.  Myself as an artiste, will also not want to take the risk because it may end up a big loss.  Not that I don’t know what to sing, we have released more than enough but who is ready to dabble into such a business now?

How would you now be heard by those in government apart from what people like us write?

Yes, let it be limited to that. If by now I don’t do any song like that again, the one I had done for so many years are still very fresh.  For instance, since the death of Nelson Mandela, all radio and television stations have been playing the album I dedicated to him years back.  If our leaders have been encouraging us, we musicians can do better. But they just want to ruin everything.

2013 has come and almost run out, how would you access the year?

It has not been a rewarding year for me. I only thank God that I am still alive.

What is the cause?

It’s the government that has handicapped us.  When government has bastardized the industry due to negligence, everybody is confused.  And I am not a carpenter nor am I a tailor, I am a musician and I can’t do any other thing than music.  But it’s not easy investing in any album now. How do I now survive?

What of engagements and shows, are they not coming as before?

They are not regular at all.  You can only be invited for shows and social engagements when your music is aired everywhere.  At times when I perform at an event, people get surprised that I am still hot.  The physically challenged wants to dance but it’s unfortunate, he doesn’t have legs.  I would have loved to do more than that but there is no enabling environment for that again. I have never heard that a musician retired.  He will sing till death.  And that was the case of late Olatunji Yusuf, a.k.a Baba legba, the same thing for Alhaji Haruna Ishola, Ayinla Omowura, I. K. Dairo and others but our government wants to retire us at all costs.  And at my age, I can’t be found singing indecent songs again.  What would I say I am still looking for?  Fame or what?

But does that mean all your addicted fans have also abandoned you?

No, I remain their favourite musician forever.  They always invite me to perform at every occasion. I play for them anytime I am invited.

What are your expectations for 2014?

We’re aiming at having a wonderful year.  A better 2014.  But everything will depend on the government.  If things turn out for the better, it’s the government.  And if otherwise, it’s still the same government.  So, we all need to be very prayerful so that God can touch the hearts of our leaders.

Do you still wish to release an album later?

Yes, if I get a very good marketer and Nigeria’s economy is back to normal.

A couple of months back, it was reported that you’re seriously ill.  They even said it was a strange ailment and that you’re hospitalized in a private hospital and all that.  What’s the truth about the whole thing?

What happened was that most of your people don’t do their investigations very well before writing their stories.  I left hospital a long time before they reported that I was sick.  They even said a governor’s wife visited me at the hospital and when she was leaving her car killed somebody along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway and many other things that are not true.  I had left the hospital for about two months back.  Even the day the story was out, I was in Osogbo, Osun State performing at an event alongside Musiliu Haruna Ishola.  The effect of this, is that if anybody wanted to invite such an artiste for a show, they would consider meticulously because they may also believe the person was truly sick.  That’s unfair.

But were you not truly sick then?

Nobody is above sickness.  And the body also needs rest.  Anybody can fall sick at anytime, including the doctors taking care of the sick.  So, what are we saying?  I was sick but I was already out of the hospital, going about my normal duties as a musician before they reported that I was not feeling fine.  Do I look sick?  Definitely, no.

What was the nature of the sickness?

I had ulcer and typhoid.

How many days did you spend in the hospital?

I spent up to two weeks.

Which hospital was that?

That’s Hamkad Hospital, Abule Egba, Lagos.

Who were the people that came to your aid?

A lot of people. I am using this medium to say a big thank you to them all.  But I must specially thank Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for his support.  He was the first person Wasiu Ayinde (K1 de Ultiamte) rushed to and informed him of my health situation.  And immediately, the governor responded very well.  K1 also called on Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State.  Immediately, the governor was told about my condition, he quickly sent money to me. I really appreciate what Governor Fashol and his counterpart in Osun, Aregbesola did for me.  May God continue to be with them.  And equally, K1 de Ultimate really tried for me. If not for his effort, these two governors wouldn’t have known anything.  He called and told them that I must not die.  They should do everything within their means to rescue me, and they surprised me.  I pray God will be with Wasiu Ayinde as well in all his endeavours.

But we learnt it was a strange ailment and not all that medical…

(Cuts in) Yes, it’s a strange ailment.  It’s spiritual.  That’s the best way of describing it.  But I thank God I am still alive.  My health condition then was worsened by the poor economic situation of Nigeria, nothing is working.  Everything is paralysed. I kept thinking to the extent that I wanted to sell my property.  If the government had not turned everything upside down, people like myself are not supposed to be suffering like this.  And the irony is that most of these people in government were not that bad before coming to power.  It’s only after getting there that they turned otherwise.  We pray that they change and remember the day of accountability.  At times, I wonder if this wasn’t the same Nigeria.  Even when Babangida was there, things were very much better.  I released a lot of albums to inform Nigerians about the happenings in the country and even beyond.  In an ideal society, the government owes people like us a great responsibility.

It was reported days back that you have put this mansion for sale, how true is it?

It’s true.  When you don’t have money, you use whatever you have to get what you want.  I don’t have money, and I need money.  I can’t just be looking at the building, I can’t eat it.  I need to convert it to money. But not the whole property that I want to sell.  It’s just this uncompleted structure directly opposite us (shows reporter the building).  I need to make that clarification so that people out there won’t be misinformed.  I am only selling part and not all the property here.  This is where I live.

How long have you been working on the house before you decided to sell it?

I have been building it for about 14 years.  Had it been I am financially okay, I should have finished it. I am tired of falling sick all the time.  Let me sell my property and have money to do other things.  I also want government to assist me, I don’t want to be suffering in silence.

So, you’re still interested in selling it?

Yes, if I see a correct buyer.

What’s the worth of the building?

It’s worth N80 million now.

What do you intend to do with the money?

I will use part of the money to build another small bungalow within this compound. I will demarcate the place.  Also, I will invest the rest of the money in a business that will be generating more money for me. If you can recall, in 1984, I established Kollington Fish Depot, at Adura Bus Stop, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Lagos.  Everything was okay then but later I took ill.  It was so bad that I had to sell the depot to take care of my health then.  May God save us from domestic antagonism.

Let’s agree that your sickness has been spiritual all this while, what have you been doing to address it?

I put everything in the Hands of God.  Also, I don’t relent because if you’re being chased by a masquerade, you keep running.  That’s why I am crying out loud and clear so that whoever God has sent to me can help me.  I can’t continue to be hiding my broken hand.

Did you inform your children of the decision to sell the property?

Yes, they are aware of my decision but there is nothing they can do about it.  Most of them are in the United States of America.  They are all in school. It’s after their education that they can start working.  They all supported that I should sell it and spend the money on whatever I like.  There is problem all over. It’s because I voiced out, that’s why you have the privilege of knowing all these.  A lot of people face tougher times than I do but they don’t want their situation known to the public.  As for me, I can’t be suffering and smiling at the same time. Whatever people like, let them say.

–    TADE ASIFAT